The Las Vegas heat can be dangerous, especially when the temperatures inside your car can get up to 138 degrees. Although there are obvious things we should not leave in a car like a child, pet or food, there are some other things that can be dangeous to leave in a hot car as well.
- Plastic water bottles, baby bottles and sippy cups High temperatures cause bacteria to grow exponentially around the opening of a bottle that someone's been drinking from. Second, plastic bottles are known fire-starters, because water can magnify sunlight until it becomes intense enough to spark a flame. Finally, heat can leach BPA, an estrogen-mimicking pollutant, from some plastic bottles in small amounts. Over time, drinking BPA-contaminated water could lead to hormonal imbalances, cancer, and other health issues.
- Sunscreen Most sunscreens become unstable and lose effectiveness at high temperatures.
- Medications High humidity and temperatures above about 77 degrees Fahrenheit can decrease drug effectiveness. If excessive heat impacts a medication used for emergencies (like nitroglycerin tablets, which treat chest pain and heart attacks), a life-threatening situation could ensue. Keep important pills in a keychain medicine holder so you'll always have them close at hand, and you'll never leave them in the car.
- Pet Food Just like human food, your pet's dinner will change composition when exposed to summer’s heat, increasing the risk of food poisoning.
- Lighters While temperatures must be extremely high for a lighter to explode, Las Vegas heat can cause chemicals to expand inside their containers.
- Sunglasses Depending on the material used, high temperatures inside a car’s cabin can melt, warp or ruin your eyewear’s paint or finish.
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